Parley for the Oceans and Surfers Against Sewage join forces in call for cold water island communities to lead fight against plastic pollution

10 December 2018

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has joined forces with Parley for the Oceans to identify and support ten island communities in the fight against plastic pollution. Together they will empower local leaders through the Parley AIR Strategy.

The plastic pollution crisis can have a disproportionate negative impact on island ecosystems, wildlife and communities from the tropics to the tundra. This new project, targeting small cold water islands around the UK, will explore plastic pollution pathways and promote community-based solutions to demonstrate how these microcosms can provide a template for global action towards a plastic-free future.

Surfer Against Sewage is today calling for island communities to submit applications to participate in the pilot project, which will be conducted in 2019. Each island will need a committed lead community volunteer. A community leader is an instigator, a motivator and an ocean activist; a passionate individual who can stimulate positive change and grow a movement within their community. The community leaders will then be equipped with the tools and guidance to support activity within their island community. Leaders will also be invited to team building and training events, and have the chance to participate in SAS’s annual Volunteer Conference.

The project is seeking ten geographically diverse island communities of varying sizes across the UK, with populations up to 25,000 permanent residents. Interested volunteers can submit their application at www.coldwaterislandsproject.org or email harry[email protected] to request the application form.

Ben Hewitt, Director of Campaigns and Projects at Surfers Against Sewage says:

“Our island communities are on the front line battling the scourge of plastic pollution and we want to support the groups and individuals working tirelessly to tackle avoidable single-use plastic. This project provides the tools, guidance and strategy to support community-led action to free where we live from avoidable single-use plastic.”

Parley founder Cyrill Gutsch says:

“Every piece of plastic we pick up from a beach is a victory for life in the oceans. In collaboration with Surfers Against Sewage, we are able to drastically increase the fight against plastics in the UK, expanding to islands that had not yet been in the focus. Now we will boost the efforts of communities working to stem the tide of pollution with the strength of our strategy and global network. Out there, it’s clear: plastic is a design failure. It is not ready for a circular economy. It is a toxic material and needs to be replaced by a new generation of materials. Collaboration, creativity, community and eco-innovation — this is the way forward.”

The programme incorporates the learnings of both SAS’s community initiatives and Parley’s AIR strategy (Avoid. Intercept. Redesign.) to empower and mobilise community action against plastic. Each community leader will be supported with a toolkit resource, that will be crafted to guide the island’s strategy and detail the tactics for achieving the following three objective points:

AVOID: The Island achieves Plastic Free Community Status, including the formation of a community steering group and engaged grassroots network for change to manage actions against plastic, engaging the local authority/council, and schools.

INTERCEPT: Coordination of regular beach clean community events and collection of data regarding the type and source of the plastic pollution on their island.

REDESIGN: Reduce the islands single-use plastic footprint by engaging and collaborating with local business and inspiring and educating individual actions and promoting Parley’s AIR strategy.